Bulbs should only spread light, not fear

Pushpa Girimaji

Last fortnight, when our bulb in our bedroom fused, I changed it. After just about two hours, when I switched it on, it exploded with a loud bang, throwing glass pieces all over the place. Worse, my five-year-old daughter, who was standing right below the bulb and looked up on hearing the loud noise, got injured. Fortunately, the glass piece narrowly missed her eye, or else the consequence could have been really grave. I am really distressed and angered by the quality of the bulb and want to take it up with the authorities. With whom should I lodge a complaint? Fortunately, as I had taken out the bulb from its packaging just two hours prior to that, I still have the package and I also have the cash bill. It was an ordinary tungsten filament round bulb of 60 watt.

I must also add that there was no sudden spike in voltage in the power supply or any such problem that could have caused the bulb to burst. It’s obviously a manufacturing defect.

This is a very serious safety issue and you must take it up with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) because these tungsten filament incandescent bulbs come under mandatory quality certification and BIS is the certification authority.

In other words, as per the Electrical Wire, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (Quality Control) Order, these bulbs have to be manufactured to the standard set by the BIS for these bulbs and have to bear the third party certification or the ‘ISI” mark issued by the BIS. They cannot be sold without the ISI certification. 

The standards ensure that the bulbs are safe in all respect and do not burst at the end of their life, but obviously in this case, the bulb did not conform to that safety norm. These bulbs are expected to last 960-1000 burning hours, but in this case, the bulb did not even last two hours. And it exploded! So obviously, there is a major quality lacuna in the bulb and the BIS needs to investigate into this and take necessary action against the manufacturer. The BIS should also check whether the problem is confined to just one batch or whether the manufacturer is producing sub-standard bulbs and has to revert to you on the action taken. In fact, through the ISI seal, the Bureau gives the consumer an assurance that the product complies with its standards and if the product does not, then the BIS also has to take responsibility for it. 

Fortunately, you have the package, so the manufacturer’s name, place of manufacture and the batch number would be available. This would help in the investigation. If you have the remaining part of the burst bulb, that would also be useful as evidence.

Can I claim compensation from the manufacturer for the injury caused to my daughter by filing a complaint before the consumer court? What kind of evidence do I need to prove my case?

You certainly can. As part of the evidence, you can provide pictures of the burst bulb, if you have them. Or even the remaining part of the bulb. Even if you do not have them, the medical report pertaining to your daughter’s treatment will play a crucial part in deciding the case in your favour. You can also use your complaint to the Bureau of Indian Standards and the results of their investigation as part of the evidence.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, a consumer has a right to be protected against unsafe, defective and hazardous products. She also has a right to compensation for any damage or injury caused as a result of such products. Here, in addition, the manufacturer has obviously violated a mandatory standard that required safety features to be incorporated into the product to prevent such injuries. Also, you must demand punitive damages from the manufacturer. Punitive damages or exemplary damages are intended to act as a deterrent and send out a clear message that such a violation of consumers’ right to safety will not be tolerated.